The present invention relates in general to nail enamel compositions, and more particularly, to nail enamel compositions containing bismuth oxychloride for forming a film having a glossy appearance over natural or synthetic human nails.
Nail enamel compositions include a class of nail care products regularly used by women as part of their beauty care routine. These nail care products are available in a multitude of product formulations, from clears to a variety of colors. Typically, clear nail enamel compositions include a film forming polymer, a film forming resin, a plasticizer and one or more solvents. In the case of a color nail enamel composition, the product may also include a thixotropic compound, a suspending agent and one or more pigments, or in the alternative, an organic coloring polymer may be used. In addition to these components, a number of optional and proprietary components are often included such as UV light absorbers, moisturizers, stabilizers, fragrances and the like.
Nail enamel compositions have heretofore been formulated in an infinite number of colors. Often, the manufacturers would produce nail enamel compositions having the same popular colors as their competitors. This provided little distinction between nail enamel products of different manufacturers to the ultimate consumer. Nail enamel compositions having a more decorative appearance were produced by including small pieces of light reflecting, decorative material known as glitters within the composition.
Other attempts to enhance the decorative appearance of nail enamel compositions has been the use of bismuth oxychloride pigments to produce a frosted effect. These compositions were based upon incorporation of bismuth oxychloride pigments with nitrocellulose or other polymers as the film forming component.
Although bismuth oxychloride provides a unique and decorative look to the nail enamel composition, the resulting films have been known to lack substantial gloss which detracts from their aesthetic value. There is theretofore the desire for nail enamel compositions which include bismuth oxychloride which, when applied to natural or synthetic human nails, will produce a film having an enhanced glossy appearance.
The present invention discloses a nail enamel composition having a glossy appearance, and more specifically, a frosted appearance having improved gloss characteristics. The nail enamel composition includes bismuth oxychloride pigments which are commercially available in a paste or powder form from a number of known suppliers, e.g., Rona EM Industries, Inc. of Hawthorne, N.J. sold under the mark Nailsyn which is a toluene free dispersion for use in nail enamel compositions. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, bismuth oxychloride pigments are obtained from the Mearl Corporation of New York under the name BIJU Utra UNT. BIJU Utra UNT is a pearly paste containing bismuth oxychloride crystals in a nitrocellulose vehicle with ester solvents. The bismuth oxychloride is present in the amount of about 58-62% by weight.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that nail enamel compositions containing bismuth oxychloride pigments can be formulated to have an improved glossy appearance. To this end, it has been discovered that by incorporating one or more film forming components into the nail enamel composition having higher molecular weights, the resulting composition will produce a film having an enhanced appearance. The film forming component in accordance with the preferred embodiment is nitrocellulose having a molecular weight greater than 56,000.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention there is described a nail enamel composition for forming a film over natural or synthetic human nails, the composition comprising nitrocellulose having a molecular weight greater than 56,000, a solvent and bismuth oxychloride.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is described a method of forming a film containing bismuth oxychloride over natural or synthetic human nails, the method comprising coating a natural or synthetic human nail with a nail enamel composition comprising nitrocellulose having a molecular weight greater than 56,000, a solvent and bismuth oxychloride.